A MAN has been left dead and a woman injured in a double shooting in a Midland village.

Neighbours today spoke of their shock after the body of a prominent local businessman, named locally as Lord Howard Worthington, 52, was discovered in a field in the leafy village of Brewood, near Cannock, at 7.10pm yesterday, with ‘several’ gunshot wounds. An hour earlier a woman had been found at a nearby property with two gunshot wounds.

It is believed the couple were known to each other but detectives today refused to comment on the circumstances of the tragic incident.

Today the beautiful country mansion was cordoned off as forensic experts carried out tests at the scene.

Police refused to name the dead man but a neighbour, who didn’t wish to be named, today told the Birmingham Mail: “Howard was a businessman and full of life and character.

“He and his partner invited us to a housewarming and he always stopped and said hello when he drove past. In fact he invited the whole village to the party. They seemed a really nice couple and were very sociable people.

“Howard is a very successful businessman. I think he has got two or three businesses.”

The neighbour added: “This is totally out of the blue. They moved in about the same time as us two years ago. The house is beautiful inside, they’ve done a lot of work there.

“When we saw all the helicopters we thought something had happened on the tail path. It does sound like a domestic but you just can’t surmise.

“It’s awful what has happened, we’ve only been here for two years.

“It’s a lovely, quiet village and you don’t expect it. A lot of people round here go shooting which is probably why they have got a shotgun in the house.

“It was chaos here last night. They closed the entrance to Hyde Mill Lane until about midnight. There were five police cars in the lane and they would not let my daughter back in.”

Police could not confirm the identity of the 47-year-old woman. She is currently in a serious condition, however it is not believed her wounds are life threatening.

The neighbour added that he believed Lord Worthington had bought the title before moving to Brewood two years ago. He was company secretary for Jules Development Ltd and director for another firm called P & H Builders Ltd.

A police spokeswoman said: “We can confirm we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident.

“An investigation is now underway and no further details are available at this stage.”

An ambulance, incident support officer, community first responder and an emergency doctor were called to the scene at around 7.25pm.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “On arrival crews found a 47-year-old woman who had suffered two gunshot wounds.

“Ambulance staff immediately started stabilising her condition before she was taken on blue lights to University Hospital of North Staffordshire. Her condition, whilst serious, is not believed to be life threatening.

“The body of a man was discovered in a field near by. He had suffered a fatal gunshot wound.”